Port Townsend, WA Accessory Structures: ADU Impact Fees (2026)
Key Facts
- SDC exemption
- 100% for permitted ADUs
- Governing section
- PTMC 13.03.120(A)
- Requires
- ADU approval under PTMC 17.16.020
- Low-income deferral cap
- 8 units/applicant/year
Summary
Port Townsend exempts permitted accessory dwelling units from system development charges for water and sewer connections entirely.
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). All ADUs located within the city limits which have been permitted and approved in accordance with PTMC 17.16.020 are exempt from the requirement to pay SDCs pursuant to this chapter.
B. Properties Not Connected to the City’s Wastewater System. All properties which are not connected to the city’s wastewater system shall be exempt from the requirement to pay SDCs upon connection to the system, pursuant to this chapter; provided, that the property owner demonstrates the following:
1. The property owner and/or the occupants of the property have paid monthly wastewater service fees on a regular monthly basis, commencing any time during 1993; and
2. The property owner and/or the occupants of the property continue to make such payments until connection of the property to the wastewater system is made; and
3. If such payments have been made in the past (commencing in 1993) but were discontinued for any reason, in lieu of paying SDCs for connection to the wastewater system, the property owner may pay all unpaid accumulated monthly wastewater service fees, plus interest. (Ord. 3330 § 1 (Exh. A), 2024; Ord. 3117 § 1 (Exh. A), 2014; Ord. 2736 § 1, 2000).
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3364, passed May 18, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Under PTMC 13.03.120(A), any ADU permitted and approved under PTMC 17.16.020 is fully exempt from system development charges (SDCs): the water, sewer, and stormwater connection fees the city otherwise collects on new residential development. There's no proration or partial credit; the exemption is complete once the ADU has city permit approval. Separately, PTMC 3.36.011 lets low-income ADU housing defer building fees and utility connection charges, capped at eight units per applicant per year.
Violations & Fines
Not a code violation matter: the exemption applies automatically once the ADU is permitted under PTMC 17.16.020; unpermitted ADUs remain liable for standard SDCs and are subject to code enforcement for the underlying permit violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Port Townsend charge impact fees on ADUs?
What triggers the ADU fee exemption?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Port Townsend
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